Garment-clasp.



A. M. ZIEGLER. GARMENT CLASP.

APPLICATION FILED 001-26, 1906 898,816, Patented Sept. 15, 1908.

1-760 eat/Z777.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED M. ZIEGLER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO A. ZIEGLER & SONS COM- PANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

, GARMENT-CLASP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept 15, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED M. ZIEGLER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Boston, county of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Garment-Clasps, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like letters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention has for its object the production of a novel, sim le and efficient clasp to hold garments secure yand without danger of tearing same.

I have shown my invention as embodied in a clasp comprising a back piece and a toggle. One of the toggle members is made as a spring that embraces a part of the other member. s

Figure 1 in side elevation represents a clasp embodying my invention in one good form; Fig. 2 a front elevation thereof, the clasp being closed Fig. 3 is a section in the line ac:c, Fig. 2 but showing the clasp in its open position; Fig. 3 is a section like Fig. 3 with the clasp closed Fig. 4 shows the frame, or back part of the clasp by itself. Fig. 5 shows the lower member of the'toggle detached; Fig. 6 shows the upper member of the toggle detached; Fig. 7 shows one-half of the blank from which the back piece is composed; Fig. 8 shows the blank from which is made the upper member of the toggle; Fig. 9 is an end view of the upper member B of the toggle; Fig. 10 shows the blank from which is formed the lower member C of the toggle, and Fig. 11 is a modification.

The clasp comprises a body piece composed of sheet metal, the blank for one-half of the body piece being shown in Fig. 7, the other half, being just the same, being omitted to save space on the drawing;

The blank is bent upwardly at its side edges to form side lugs a to sustain the toggle in its movements, said lugs as shown in Figs. 1 to 4 being subsequently bent inwardly and downwardly to form lips a and the under sides of these lips are notched, as shown at a Fig. 3.. The upper edges of the lugs a below the portions a are notched, as at a and further down along the sides of the blank are projections a and yet further along the edges of the blank are opposite portionsa to be turned upwardly as at a the upper edge of each of said portions being shown as beveled or inclined upwardly toward the lower end of the body or frame, thusforming an abutment for the toggle near its free end as the latter passes over center into fabric holding position, said abutment insuring a higher position for the free end of the toggle in its closed or web holding position than. at the junction of the central part of the toggle where one part of the toggle holds the other part yieldingly. The upturned end of the body portion sustains the fabric acted upon by the free end of the lower member of the toggle, said upturned portion serving as a stop with which co-acts the free end of said lower member resting on said abutment, the abutment insuring the closing of the toggle with its free end higher than its central or pivoted portion.

The extremity of the frame is bent to form a transverse lip a that is turned backwardly toward the upper end of the body, the portion of the framework sustaining the lip a being surrounded by a yielding portion or rubber band 6. The rear side of the frame or body is slitted as at b to form a spring part b having at its end a stop I). hen the toggle is open, as shown in Fig. 3, the stop 6 engages the adjacent end of the upper, spring member B of the toggle, the end of the stop 6 meeting the projection 5 on said upper member B of the toggle and the adjacent part of the spring portion 12 at the same time pressing against the semi-circular bend in the member B adjacent the edge of the opening 5", locking such member B in the position shown in Fig. 3, until positively moved therefrom.

The upper portion of the body or frame is adapted to have connected with it a strap, web, or cord, in any usual way, the upper end, as herein shown, being represented as slotted, as atb, to receive a fiat web.

The toggle is composed of an upper or spring member B and a lower member C. The upper member is fashioned from a blank of the shape shown in Fig. 8, said member having projections 2 to enter the notches a formed for them in the lips a, as shown in Fig. 3. The-member B has also projections 3 to be engaged by the fingers when it is desired to open the clasp.

The upper member B of the toggle is a spring member having a tendency to stand normally closed, as represented in Fig. 3. This member is bent, as shown in Fig. 3 to present a semi-circular end having a projection 5 that meets the stop 5 when the toggle is open.

The uppermost arm of the member B may yield with relation to the lowermost arm, said spring member holding in a yielding manner arms of the lower member 0;

One end of member B, see Fig. 9, is notched at two points, as at 6, and the notched end is turned downwardly, see Fig. 3, leaving, as shown, three depending projections 7, 8 and 9, Fig. 9. The opposite end of member B presents two points 12, 13 that are bent upwardly substantially opposite the notches 6 and a portion of said member at each side near its end is struck upwardly and curved, as at 14. The lower member 0 of the toggle is formed from a blank represented in Fig. 10, portions of the said blank having arms 15, the blank being bent on the dotted lines, Fig. 10 to form side flanges 16 and the ends of the arms are thereafter bent as shown in Fig. 5 substantially parallel to the edge 17 leaving a narrow space between the said arms and said edge.

The member C is held by the spring member B, the latter embracing the arms 15, which are inserted between the arms of the member B when sprung open. The arms 15 are passed between the projections and points at the ends of the member B and pass behind the same, so that the projections 7, 8 and 9 enter the space 18 between the inturned arms 15, see Fig. 3, as the toggle is straightened, and the upper edges of the arms 15 held by the projections 7 and 9 ride at their opposite edges over the rounded portions 14, said edges meeting the upturned points 12, 13, stopping further movement when the toggle is in its holding position Fig. 1.

Viewing Fig. 3, it will be noticed that there is a space between the lugs a and the body, and when inserting the toggle into its operative position, the rounded end of the member B in the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to 9, is inserted through said space, the spring 6 being pushed somewhat outwardly, so that the stop 5 will pass the stop I), and thereafter the member B is turned until the projections 2 enter the notches (L as in Fig. 3.

Viewing Fig. 3 it will be noticed that the semi-circular rear end of the member B acts, at all times, on the spring portion 6 the latter serving to keep the projections 2 always in working position in said. notches.

When the toggle is sprung or opened as in Fig. 3 and occupies its inoperative position, the stop 5 meets the stop I)" and arrests the toggle in such position where it is maintained by the friction of its semi-circular end against said frame, and the projection b enters the notch 5 which looks the toggle open Fig. 1 shows a piece of stocking, fabric, or other material D laid over the lip a and engaged by the toggle. The garment, having been laid over the lip when the toggle occupies the position Fig. 3, the toggle is moved into the position Fig. 1. 011 its way to occupy the position Fig. 1, the end of the lower member of the toggle first meets the upper inclined edge or lifting portion a, and as the toggle is straightened, and crosses its central pivot, the free end of-the member C is gradually forced toward the-lip a at the same time forcing the end of said lower member against the garment sustained on the flexible or yielding member I), the projections 3 of the upper member B of the toggle entering the notches a and at the same time the projections at overlap the sides of the lower mem' ber C of the toggle and prevent any lateral movement thereof. 7

As a modification of my invention, see Fig. 11, the side lugs may have depressions or holes in which may enter the projections 2 of the member C.

The projection 5 of the spring member B may be acted upon by the thumb nail when it is desired toput the lower member 0 of the toggle in the position Fig. 3, and when this projection is used for such purpose, the projections 3, before described, are unnecessary. By connecting the members B and C as shown and described, it is possible to cause the joint between said members to act as a shortening means to shorten the effective length of the toggle when the same is put into its inoperative position Fig. 3, and it will be noticed that when the toggle starts from its inoperative shortened position, Fig. 3, into position to engage the fabric it meets the fabric outside of the end of the inturned lip a, and as the toggle comes into its fully. operative position, it is lengthened, and the free end of the member 0 passes fully under said lip and gets firm contact with the fabric to hold the same.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A garment clasp comprising a body having an upturned end and a toggle pivotally mounted on said body, the toggle being composed of a spring member holding yieldingly its co-acting member.

2. A garment clasp comprising a body portion and a toggle composed of two parts, one of which is made as a spring holding the other part yieldingly, the end of the spring part being curved and bearing constantly against the back of the frame to maintain the said toggle in any position where it may be left out of engagement with the fabric.

3. In a garment clasp, a body having its end upturned, and a two part toggle, one part B of which is made as a spring embracing the other part C, the latter part having arms co-acting with projections and points of the part B.

4. A garment clasp comprising a body slitted at its upper end for the reception of a strap, upturned at its lower end, provided at its sides with flanges, and having between its ends a stop; and a toggle curved at its upper end and provided with a stop, said toggle being pivotally mounted in said flanges the stop of said toggle engaging the stop of said body when the garment-clasp occupies its inoperative position.

5. In a garment clasp, a body portion upturned at one end and provided with an adj acent abutment, and a toggle pivotally mounted on the other end of the body portion, the free end of the toggle sliding upon and being sustained by said abutment when the toggle is closed to coact with the upturned end of the body, the abutment causing the free end of the toggle to assume a higher position than its central portion when said toggle is closed and straightened to pass over center.

6. In a garment fastener, a toggle member B having projections, points, and upwardly curved portions 14, combined with a second toggle member having arms inserted between the free ends of the other toggle member and operating therewith substantially as described.

7. A garment clasp comprising a body having a fabric engaging lip and a two part toggle comprising an engaging member and,

a spring member, the spring member coactmg with parts of the engaging member to hold the latter in an inclined relation to the spring member when the clasp is open.

8. A garment clasp comprising a body having a fabric engaging lip, and a two-part toggle comprising an upper member made as a spring, and a lower member having arms yieldingly embraced by said upper member, the latter acting on the arms of the lower member when the clasp is opened to maintain said lower member in an inclined relation to the upper member.

9. A garment clasp comprising a body part having an engaging lip, and a co-acting member presenting a curved end adapted to bear against said body part and maintain said co-acting member in any position in which it may be left, and means for locking said coacting member in its inoperative position.

10. In a garment clasp, a body part having an upturned lip and a two-part toggle pivotally mounted on said body part, the upper member of said toggle having a series of proj ections, the lower member having arms that enter the upper member of the toggle and coact with said projections.

11. In a garment clasp, a body portion having an upturned lip and a co-acting twopart toggle, the upper member of which is U-shaped and presents portions 14, and a series of projections, the lower member having arms that rest on said portion 14 and coact with said projections.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALFRED M. ZIEGLER.

Witnesses:

LoUIs C. SMITH, MARGARET A. DUNN. 

